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Ecolab Joins U.N. Efforts to Reduce Carbon Emissions
December 9, 2019
Ecolab Inc. announced that it will align its operations and supply chain to the U.N. Global Compact’s Business Ambition for 1.5⁰C and will work to reduce its carbon emissions by half by 2030 and to net-zero by 2050.
An official company announcement said Ecolab is committed to doing its part in limiting the rise of global temperatures to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) or less above pre-industrial levels, the limit deemed necessary by the United Nations to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.
“Climate change demands urgent action, and it’s absolutely critical that we accelerate our efforts to mitigate its impact,” said Ecolab Chairman and CEO Douglas M. Baker Jr. “We don’t yet have all the answers as to how we’ll get to net-zero carbon emissions, but business needs to come together and create forward momentum. That’s why Ecolab is committing to 1.5 degrees C.”
To help meet its commitment, Ecolab will:
- Move to 100% renewable energy in its global operations. In 2018, the company signed a virtual power purchase agreement that will cover 100% of its electricity needs in North America once the wind farm it is helping to finance comes online in 2020. Today, 99.4% of Ecolab’s electricity in Europe comes from renewable sources
- Expand energy efficiency projects at Ecolab plants, office buildings, and operations around the world
- Move to electrify its fleet of service vehicles
- Work with supply chain partners to adopt similarly ambitious climate goals.
The U.N. Global Compact, a group of more than 9,500 companies collaborating to foster more sustainable ways of doing business, launched the Business Ambition for 1.5⁰C in 2019 to spur companies to do their part in achieving this goal. As of December 4, 2019, 140 companies have joined the Business Ambition for 1.5⁰C.
About Ecolab
With annual sales of US$15 billion and more than 49,000 associates, Ecolab Inc. specializes in cleaning, sanitizing, food safety, and infection prevention products and services in more than 170 countries. For more information, visit www.ecolab.com.
